


What do you know?

by jeffgangfan



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Apprentice - Freeform, Cards Geek! Nico, F/M, Fortune Teller! Hazel, Halloween fair, M/M, Percy dressing as a pirate, hanging out in Halloween, human!AU, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 09:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2543135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeffgangfan/pseuds/jeffgangfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Halloween and Percy's out with Frank, his cousin, to the midnight fair. He is supposed to go with Annabeth but she was with somebody else, now. Seems like he is in need of advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What do you know?

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween everyone!

Percy adjusts his eye-badge the third time that night. His friends jokingly call him a dork but he just loves wearing costumes, especially when it comes to Halloween and the spirit of the day. He is determined to pull off this outfit, no matter how many times the eye-patch keeps falling loose for the sake of his love for Pirates of the Caribbean.

“Percy, at least have a peek in her tent! She’s awesome, I promise!” Frank keeps telling him to see his girlfriend, Hazel, who coincidently has a tent for people interested in Fortune Telling and all the magic here tonight. According to Frank (awesome supportive cousin), she is the best with advice.  
Percy casts his mind back to yesterday night, when Annabeth held his hand one last time, telling him they should stop seeing each other. _Not like she was going away forever_ , he thinks, _more like we just remain friends_.

He and Annabeth have a been a couple for more than a year, after five years of studying in the same school, constantly meeting and sharing the same interest for Mario Kart and The Maze Runner. Annabeth, other than that, is much different from him but they somehow got together. He recalls how they have stopped kissing for a while and he does not even feel any sexual attractions towards her anymore, unlike the phase that pushed them towards each other. Percy no longer notices her hairstyle, how she dresses and clearly is not sophisticated enough so Annabeth has been seeing this person for a while. Now that person has ignited flames of desire in Annabeth, something Percy has never managed to do. He saw that coming. 

Annabeth is waiting for his answer and he definitely is in need for advice.

He ducks as a flying ice cream cone dashes past him. Night fairs are crazy but it is Halloween tonight, so craziness multiplied by ten.  
Everything looked like a ghost has puked on it with ectoplasm, as green eerie lights are added, doing wonders with other decorations as well. The Ferris Wheel looks like it is covered with spider web, each cabin has stickers on them. The game stalls have replaced their stuffed animals with creepy, crazy thingies and that’s pretty cool if you ask him. Percy wishes Annabeth were here. They could have been shooting bottles to win that Monkey Owl (or whatever it is).

He sees the Purple Tent with the sign “Hecate’s servant” and turns to ask Frank if it were the right one but the taller is out of sight. Percy tries searching for him in the crowd of people dressing to the nines in various costumes like Frankenstein, Annabell (that doll is so creepy), clowns and vampires. He hopes Frank is not getting into any trouble tonight but then scoffs at himself because, usually, it is him to get into trouble.

The tent looks much smaller from outside but it is big enough for plenty of Witchery decorations. The theme is not completely Gypsy and you can still see how witty the decorator is, through the colorful sashes and rugs but also through the dusty, big piles of hardback books and the smoking cauldron at the corner of the tent. There are two tables and various pillows, Percy took that as a sign to sit down in front of the larger table. He tries to refrain from touching and playing with the crystal ball in front of him, which is surrounded in many gems. They look real, as if have just been pulled out of ground.

“Nico, we have a guest!” the voice is followed with various clattering sounds that sure were from cooking pots and pans.

“You go first, Hazel.” 

Percy turns to see a pretty girl entering the tent, spluttering small apologies to him as she reaches the table. Hazel, she must be, is wearing a white peasant blouse and a colorful gypsy skirt which reaches below her knees. Her purple cloak helps beautifying her dark, rich skin tone and her brown cinnamon hair. No wonder Frank is head over heels.

“Welcome to the tent of Hecate’s servant. Do you wish to have a glimpse of future?” she asks with her arms opened, her tone completely different from what he has heard. Hazel is in her elements now, looking at him questioningly.

“Uh…actually-“Percy says, folding his legs carefully so the boots won’t leave dirt mark on the pillow “I come for an advice.”

“Speak, you wrenched son of the sea.”

Hazel makes him more conscious about the costume he is wearing and Percy wonders if he should throw in the “ye” or “arghh” in his sentences. Then, again, Hazel looks serious so…

“Ye, it’s about my lad. We’ve been together for a year and now she asks me to be Jolly.”

Hazel arches up an eyebrow and Percy knows he won’t speak Pirate for the rest of the night.

“Frank told me you’re good with advice. So, it’s about my girlfriend.”Percy continues when Hazel nods at him “We’ve been together for a year and now she tells me that we should stop seeing each other.”

The rest of the story flows and Hazel is even informed about how Annabeth always defeats him in Mario Kart. The girl puts her hand on the blue crystal ball, two rings shining on her finger. 

“I see the end of a book.” Hazel says, her voice serious “The author is tired and wants to move on so pages are ripped out of the book faster than expected.”

“So you’re implying that-“

“You’re the person who makes the decision. Although it is crystal clear right in front of your eyes, you have yet ceased to notice.”

From her hands, a crystal gem pops out and Percy feels like he can’t get more impressed. Maybe this girl does have some tricks under her sleeves because Percy feels comfortable talking to her even more than a couple of his friends. The fortune teller twirls the crystal gem and puts it aside the pile of colorful gems on her table.

“I still don’t get it.” Percy tells her.

“It is the future so it should not be understood. I may or may not give you advice on your problem.” Hazel pours the tea from the small tea pot and hands him a cup. Percy takes it and he does not get why he is not frustrated. Usually when he does not understand something, there’s a bubbling annoyance in his stomach and even though he does not usually show it, he feels brainless. 

Maybe it is because Percy knows that Hazel notices and sympathizes with his problems, when most people would just act like they don’t understand. Or care.

“Although, I do have an advice for you.” The fortune teller smiles “You have many questions and my brother may give you the answers you need, Jolly”

“It’s Percy. Jolly is a pirate thingy.” Percy chuckles, stretching out his legs (again, carefully) and Hazel exits, her cloak flowing behind her.

“Wait here, tattered soul.” 

Percy waits patiently as he plays with Riptide, his DIY sword while thinking that how cool it will be if the sword is real. Maybe in an alternative universe then? The green-eyed is in the middle of stabbing his baggy black stripped pants with Riptide when Hazel’s brother comes in and **Oh gods**.

The person who has just stepped in is wearing an outfit of a butler, his sleeves rolled up to his elbow. His two buttons are undone, yet Percy doesn’t think the guy did that on purpose. That must be Nico. He looks like he has just removed the tie or black bow from his collar and _Look at his hands_ , Percy think, _he has hands of an artist_. Percy wonders what the obsidian-eyed was doing when Hazel and he were talking because the pony tail doesn’t hold much hair, some of it falls and cups his face perfectly. Percy likes to think of him as The Witch’s Apprentice.

“So-“ the boy trails off. Percy realizes he has been staring and swallows.

“I’m Percy and your sister said you could help me with some answers?” Percy asks, scratching the back of his head.

“It depends on what the question is.” Nico sits down at the smaller table and Percy crawls to it, avoiding pillows on his way.

The black-haired pulls out a deck of cards from under the table, his hands swiftly shuffle the cards and Percy guesses that they are Tarot. He once or twice has heard a person at school talking about them enthusiastically in the small balcony next to the teachers’ restroom. The person also talks on phone about Mythomagic with the enthusiasm doubled, so Percy does not remember much about Tarot. But, hey, he’s in the Fortune Teller’s tent, so he’s betting on Tarot.

“So do I have to tell you anything before asking or just-“

“You go ahead and I will ask after showing you the cards.” Nico replies.

“My girlfriend has just asked me to just be friends with her and I don’t know what to do. Help?”

“That’s technically was not a question but…” Nico holds out the deck and it is definitely Tarot “Please shuffle the cards, pick out ten and follow my instructions.”

Percy does as he is told and finds it quite difficult to shuffle the cards, he swears Nico is trying not to laugh. Still, if he ruined the cards, Nico would probably have a heart attack because he keeps looking at Percy’s hands. He gives the cards one by one to Nico, who places them on the table with carefulness. Nico pulls some of his dark hair back behind his ears and Percy feels himself smiling at the guy. Why is that?

Nico flips the cards and looks at them with concentration. Percy finds it odd that the cards are not even at the same direction but who is he to talk about Tarot? Although he does know this is a Celtic Cross.

“So, Percy.” Nico smacks his lips and looks at the ceiling “How did you guys get together?”

“I don’t know. It just happened.” Percy eyes the skull ring on the other’s index finger.

“And did you two have plans for the future when you’re still…in love?” 

“No. Other than strategies on Mario Kart. And weekend picnics.”

Nico moves his hand to the two cards in the middle, which are lying on each other. Percy sees a Tower and a creature which has two heads and eight limbs as if it is a man and woman combined. Ouch. The cards look beautiful with the black/white theme, and an emphasis of other colors hidden in them. For example, the Tower is bright blue.

“This is The Lovers and The Tower.” Nico says “They represent the present and the challenge you are facing.”

Percy nods. 

After each card, Percy is more and more impressed because the cards really do reflect somewhat his relationship with Annabeth. He has gotten The Lovers, Tower and Fool so far.

“And now for the future, you have Death.” Nico says, his tone professional. He immediately smiles at Percy reassuringly when the green eyes are wide opened “No, not Death literally. Chill.”

“Usually in movies, the characters have the same facial expression as me when they see signs of Death.” Percy says, pouting a little.

“It means that you will go through changes. The Beginning of a new adventure. And Ending for an old book.”

Percy tries not to show how surprised he is. Hazel did say something about a book. Maybe the siblings have a thing for books. Yes, piles of books in this tent.

Nico has been doing well until he reaches the card that represents External Influences. He blushes as he tell Percy the meaning of the card. 

“I’m sorry. That was unprofessional of me.” 

“No, it’s okay. You look cute when you blush.” Percy says, and wow suddenly Riptide looks so interesting.

“So all I can say is that you’re trying to cling on a familiar thing from the past.” Nico says, hands moving to the final card on the right of The Cross.

“Yeah.” Percy recalls how relieved he has felt when Annabeth told him about that person who makes her happy but at the same time, a vague fear settles down slowly in his stomach like a python waiting to steal a bite of his guts.

What if she ignores him after he says ‘yes’? It’s going to be awkward and not everyone can return to being friends after a relationship. He may not regard Annabeth as his girlfriend anymore but it will be terrible if she’s out of his life forever.

“The last card is an advice, Percy. But please consider my words before I flip the card, okay?”  
Percy nods again.

“I know that feeling when you are afraid to let go because you think the people, the events from the past define you whole. But you should know that what we do now will define us in the future. So loosen up and try new things.” Nico’s fingers drum on the last card “You can always sort things out with the past, but you should do so as soon as possible.”

Percy stops Nico before he flips the card, knowing that he needn’t hear anything more.

Nico excuses himself and goes out to join Hazel in doing whatever they were in the middle of (washing pots?), leaving the Pirate alone in the tent. He feels like he is being glared at intensely by the skull on the table but then makes a call for Annabeth nonetheless. Everything is explained thoroughly, including his relief and fears. Annabeth sounds like she wants to cry at the other side of the phone but she still manages to call him Seaweed Brain multiple times. They are going to have a match of Mario Kart this Sunday. Things are great. They are friends and it feels like that has never changed.

 

“Hey, Nico!” Percy walks to Nico, who is talking to Hazel. The green-eyed tries not to trip over his sword, while twirling his small dagger. Sometimes he wishes Riptide can shrink back into something small and convenient enough to be put into his pocket. Like, a pen for instance.

Hazel nudges Nico by the elbow and the boy turns to face him, hand still holding the Tarot deck.

“I suppose you are satisfied with our service?” he asks and Percy nods eagerly.

“I do have to say that it has a side-effect.”

Nico and Hazel glances at each other worriedly.

“I can see that you, Mr. Witch’s Apprentice and I will hang out the rest of the night, together.” Percy says, twirling his dagger. Nico stares at him, confused.

“You mean…” Hazel trails off, hands swatting as if signaling him to continue.

Percy face-palmed himself.

“I meant, Nico…” Percy says, putting his hands on Nico’s shoulder and the shorter almost jumps “Would you like to hang out with me for the rest of the night after you finish work?”

“I’d love to but…” Nico glances at Hazel and she nods eagerly “You know what? Yes, let’s hang out.”

 

P/s: Nico totally keeps his cool in the Haunted House while Percy almost loses Riptide. And Percy also wins a stuffed Black Octopus for Nico. Meanwhile Reynabeth has a cuddling session, giving candies to kids after a party somewhere else.

**Author's Note:**

> I think you guys should leave comments before Nico shows up with an army of skeletons and SKELETON WARS.


End file.
